A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has fixed July 14, 2025, for the hearing of a suit filed by the Chairman and members of the Rivers State Services Commission, who were appointed by the suspended state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
They are challenging their dismissal by the Sole Administrator of the state, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.
Other defendants in the suit, which contests the powers of the sole administrator to dismiss the Commission members, include the Rivers State Government, the Accountant General, Access Bank, Zenith Bank, and eleven others.
According to reports when the matter, initially scheduled for adoption of final written addresses, was mentioned in court on Thursday, counsels representing Access Bank and Zenith Bank brought an application for an extension of time to file their processes.
The application was not opposed by the other parties.
Presiding Judge, Justice Frank Onyiri, after hearing arguments from counsels to the 12th and 13th respondents, adjourned the matter to July 14, 2025, for hearing and possible adoption of all processes.
The claimants, Rev. Goodlife Iduoku Ben, Amadi Christian Echele, Chimenim Wisdom Jerome, and three others, are challenging what they described as their “illegal sack by the sole administrator.”
They argued that they were duly appointed and confirmed by the Rivers State House of Assembly, and that records of their confirmation were documented with the Clerk of the House before they were issued appointment letters by the governor.
In an affidavit deposed to by the suspended Chairman, Ben, the claimants maintained that the sole administrator lacked the legal authority to suspend them and appoint new members to the commission.
However, the defence team, led by Professor Ajayi, has filed a preliminary objection, contesting the jurisdiction of the Rivers State High Court to entertain the matter.
According to them, under the combined provisions of the Emergency Powers Act, 1961 and Emergency Powers (Jurisdiction) Act, 1962, only the Federal Supreme Court has the authority to hear such cases.
The legal team representing the sole administrator further relied on the aforementioned laws to justify the administrator’s powers to suspend and appoint members of the commission.
But in response, the claimants’ legal team, led by Mustapha Abraham, SAN, argued that the 1961 and 1962 Acts cited by the defence are no longer in force.
They contended that under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, those laws are considered spent and listed as such in the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
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